BALTIMORE — The Coast Guard and good Samaritans responded to a vessel on fire approximately 13 miles southeast of Ocean City Friday morning.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Maryland-National Capital Region received a distress call via VHF-FM 16 from the operator of the vessel Hard Decision stating he had an electrical fire aboard his vessel and required assistance.

Sector M-NCR personnel relayed an urgent marine information broadcast and launched a boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Ocean City and an aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City.

Multiple good Samaritans arrived on scene to discover the Hard Decision completely engulfed and seven people in the water. The operator of the vessel Unplugged recovered the seven people.

The survivors were transferred to the Coast Guard rescue vessel and safely brought ashore.

“This case was a great example of how important it is to have proper, working safety gear aboard your vessel,” said Lt. Bradford Clark, Sector Maryland-NCR, a SAR mission controller. “The boaters were able to quickly notify our command center staff about their emergency and allowed us to alert boaters, near the stricken vessel’s location, who responded and provided assistance.”